Ahlussunna sect marks Eid-ul-Fitr

Hundreds of Muslims belonging to the Ahlussunna Wal-Jama’A sect last Wednesday converged on the forecourt of the State House in Accra for a special prayer to mark the end of the 29-day Ramadan fast.

The Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to glorify and sanctify Allah for seeing them through the month-long period of fasting. The worshippers trooped to the grounds with their prayer mats as early as 7:00 a.m. in a joyous mood, clad in their beautiful apparel to observe the prayer.

Gracing the occasion were the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng; former Member of Parliament for Tema East, Titus Glover; the Presidential Coordinator of Zongo and Inner-Cities Development Secretariat, Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda, and other dignitaries within the Muslim community.

Peace and unity

The Deputy National Chief Imam of the sect, Sheikh Mohammed Kamil Mohammed, led the congregation after which he delivered a sermon on the essence of the Ramadan and Ed-ul-Fitr.

He urged Muslims to let the lessons they had learnt during the Ramadan shape their lives. He also called on all Muslims to promote peace and unity among themselves and not only when it was Ramadan, as the religion was built on the basis of peace and unity.

Advising the Muslims as they head towards the celebration of Eid ul Fitr, he said they should not go overboard with the celebration to cause harm to other individuals or themselves.

He said they should stay cautious in their celebration as he wanted a fire-free and accident-free Eid-ul-Fitr celebration this year. He urged them to, while they were celebrating, remember the needy in their communities and give them a helping hand.

That, Sheikh Mohammed said, would ensure that the Almighty Allah rewards them. He also prayed to Allah for the protection of the country against any form of internal and external aggression that would undermine the peace, stability, decency and unity of the country.

Anti- LGBTQ bill

The Presidential Coordinator of Zongo and Inner-Cities Development Secretariat also urged the Muslim community to keep calm as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was ready to assent to the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.

He said the only hindrance was that the matter was in court, and that he had to wait for the Supreme Court to give its determination. “Once the Supreme Court gives its go ahead, the President will undoubtedly assent to the bill,” he said.

He further urged the Muslim community to help protect the country’s peace as the December election approaches. “Let’s do our best to maintain the country’s peace. Election is not a fight, it is rather a contest of ideas. We are all one people with one destiny, one direction, one objective and one vision,” Alhaji Abdallah Banda said.